The Ultimate Skin Care Routine for Oily Skin

Are you struggling with greasy, oily skin? People with oily skin have overactive sebaceous glands that produce excess oil. However, oily skin can also be caused due to hormonal fluctuations, genetics, stress, lifestyle, dietary habits, climate or if you're not using the right skincare products for oily skin.

When your skin gets dehydrated, it starts producing excess oil resulting in clogged pores that are prone to blackheads and breakouts. Not a pleasant prospect! Fortunately, you can avoid all these skin problems if you follow the right skin care routine for oily skin. To make your life easy, we’ve put together a complete morning, evening, and night oily skin care routine to alleviate all your woes and improve your skin health.

Step 1: Cleanse

Cleanse your skin with a gentle cleanser that is light, soothing and doesn't strip your skin of its natural oils. If your skin is excessively oily, you should consider using a gel cleanser that purifies the skin and stabilises sebum levels while maintaining optimum hydration.

Step 2: Exfoliate

People with oily skin must include a mild exfoliator in their oily skin care routine. Exfoliation is essential at least twice a week. You can pick a scrub that contains hyaluronic acid as it would help rejuvenate your complexion and enhance its elasticity while removing dead skin and excess oil.

Step 3: Tone

Using a toner on oily skin preps it for moisturisation and enables the skin to absorb the active ingredients for optimum hydration. A toner also works to minimise the appearance of pores and improves the texture of your skin by keeping excess oil at bay.

Step 4: Moisturise

In the morning, you can use a T-zone control moisturiser that gives you a smoother, matt effect with a shine-free look while also nourishing your skin. Consider buying a light and calming formula with Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) as it helps control excess oil and pore size to give you healthy radiance.

Step 5: Sunscreen

If you want to get rid of oily skin, you may think that adding a layer of sunscreen will make it worse, but sun protection is an essential part of a skin care routine for oily skin. To finish your morning routine, you can use a mineral-based sunscreen that contains Titanium Dioxide or Zinc Oxide as they have the ability to absorb excess oil. Also, look for broad-spectrum UVA & UVB protection.

Step 1: Cleanse

Start your evening skincare regime with a facial cleanser that effectively removes your makeup, sebum, and SPF. Look for an oil-based cleanser with anti-bacterial ingredients like witch hazel or tea tree. You can follow this oil cleansing routine with your regular cleanser to remove dirt and makeup while balancing excess sebum.

Step 2: Tone

Toning in the evening helps get rid of makeup and residual dirt without drying skin out. A good toner for oily skin will address oiliness and shine resulting from unbalanced sebum. Look for a product that can minimise enlarged pores and refine the texture of your skin while maintaining its natural moisture.

Step 3: Moisturise

Just because you have oily skin doesn’t mean that you skip this step! People with oily skin must, however, avoid using a heavy formula as it can lead to clogged pores. So, choose a moisturiser that is designed to absorb & balance excessive sebum. Prefer a formula that contains Tocopheryl Acetate, Hyaluronic Acid, or Glycerin as they will hydrate the skin and prevent loss of moisture.

Step 1: Cleanse

Often, people with oily skin feel that one round of cleansing isn't enough. To ensure that you don’t hit the pillow until your skin is completely clean, you can use a potent oil-free, water-based cleanser with salicylic acid and glycolic acid to start your nighttime oily skin care routine.

Step 2: Targeted Treatment

If you're acne-prone, then the best face cream for treating oily skin at night is the one that can balance oil, is light-weight, and helps maintain moisture. You can swap your daytime moisturiser with an oil balancing acne cream because it's a saving grace for oily skin. Its gentle formulation will help you combat acne and prevent future breakouts.

Step 3: Eye Cream

Complete your oily skin care routine with a soothing under-eye cream that works to hydrate and brighten your under-eye skin. Look for a formulation that includes apricot oil and shea butter if you want to tackle puffy and lined skin.

Facial Cleanse

A weekly facial cleansing regime can make a massive difference to people with oily skin. You can use a handy electric facial cleansing brush that is designed to get rid of oil and impurities without needing any creams or scrubs! Its vibration technology makes facial cleansing a breeze and efficiently removes oil, makeup, dirt, and impurities without any effort on your part. For the best results, you can use this cleanser 1-2 times a week.

Mask

Sheet masks that contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and hyaluronic acid are a quick, convenient, and relaxing way to bring the spa experience home! A great mask for oily skin should contain Morrocan clay, Activated Charcoal, or Glycolic Acid to keep oily skin clear and calm. You can use these masks once a week.

Do

• If you're constantly wondering how to stop oily skin, then blotting papers are your best friend! They're the fastest and easiest way to combat oily skin so always keep them handy
• Choose a gentle face wash that is specifically formulated for oily skin so that when it when it removes impurities, it doesn't dry out your skin
• A great moisturiser for oily skin is the one that can rebalance oiliness, give you a matt glow and has a soothing, gel texture that doesn't weigh down your skin
• If you want your makeup base to last for hours then make sure the foundation you choose is oil-free and has a matte texture to combat the oily shine for longer
• Always be stingy with your concealer as it may crease your makeup
• What you eat shows up on your skin! Swap all the foods that trigger your sebaceous glands with healthy options like leafy greens, fruits, almonds, quinoa, vegan cheese, almond milk, berries, brown rice, soups, and smoothies

Don't

• Don’t make the mistake of over-exfoliating your skin as it may worsen your situation by irritating and dehydrating
• When you're applying makeup, don’t skip the primer. It's an absolute must for keeping your sebaceous glands under control
• Don't sleep with your makeup on as it will lead to clogged pores and aggravate your skin problems
• Avoid touching your face as that will transfer all the impurities from your hands and lead to acne or breakouts
• If you're consuming dairy, fats, sugar and refined carbs daily and top all your meals with salt, then it’s pointless asking yourself, “Why is my skin so oily?”

Picking products that are gentle and natural and avoiding chemicals, astringents, and parabens would mean winning half the battle against greasy, oily skin. Harsh soaps, comedogenic products, and alcohol-based solutions will only irritate your oily skin and invite acne. Finally, before including any product in your oily skin care routine, try a small sample.